Milk production and fatty acid profile of dairy cows grazing four grass species pastures during the rainy season in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico.

The study evaluated small-scale dairy systems with continuous grazing of pastures based on three temperate grasses festulolium (FL), tall fescue (TF), and perennial ryegrass (RG), compared with subtropical kikuyu grass (KG). All pastures were associated with white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Twelve multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square replicated three times with 14-day experimental periods. Sampling and analyses of pastures, concentrates, and animal variables followed standard procedures. FL showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean sward height, but there were no differences (p > 0.05) in net herbage accumulation. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) among pastures for CP, NDF, ADF, in vitro digestibility of OM (IVOMD), and estimated metabolizable energy (eME). There were no differences (p > 0.05) between treatments for milk yield and composition, live weight, or body condition score. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in fatty acid values for pastures in C14:0, C16:1, and C18:3n3. There were significant differences between treatments (p < 0.05) in milk contents for C18:0, C18:1t11, and C18:2c9t11. Grazing FL, TF, RG, or KY pastures showed no differences in milk yields. Higher values for C18:0, C18:1t11, and C18:2c9t11 were detected in KY, RG, and TF. RG had significantly higher MUFA than FL and higher PUFA than TF. A value under 65% of SFA, a ratio of n-6/n-3 lower than 4, and an atherogenic index of 1.7 are indicators of milk with beneficial effects for human health.

Antitumoral gene-based strategy involving nitric oxide synthase type III overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma develops in cirrhotic liver. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase type III (NOS-3) overexpression induces cell death in hepatoblastoma cells. The study developed gene therapy designed to specifically overexpress NOS-3 in cultured hepatoma cells, and in tumors derived from orthotopically implanted tumor cells in fibrotic livers. Liver fibrosis was induced by CCl4 administration in mice. The first-generation adenoviruses were designed to overexpress NOS-3 or green fluorescent protein, and luciferase complementary DNA under the regulation of murine alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) promoters, respectively. Both adenovirus and Hepa 1-6 cells were used for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Adenoviruses were administered through the tail vein 2 weeks after orthotopic tumor cell implantation. AFP-NOS-3/RSV-luciferase increased oxidative-related DNA damage, p53, CD95/CD95L expression and caspase-8, -9 and -3 activities in cultured Hepa 1-6 cells. The increased expression of CD95/CD95L and caspase-8 activity was abolished by Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, p53 and CD95 small interfering RNA. AFP-NOS-3/RSV-luciferase adenovirus increased cell death markers, and reduced cell proliferation of established tumors in fibrotic livers. The increase of oxidative/nitrosative stress induced by NOS-3 overexpression induced DNA damage, p53, CD95/CD95L expression and cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The effectiveness of the gene therapy has been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo.

Discovering less toxic ionic liquids by using the Microtox® toxicity test.

New Microtox® toxicity data of 16 ionic liquids of different cationic and anionic composition were determined. The ionic liquids 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium trifluoromethanesulfonate, [BMPyr(+)][TFO(-)], 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium chloride, [BMPyr(+)][Cl(-)], hydroxypropylmethylimidazolium fluoroacetate, [HOPMIM(+)][FCH2COO(-)], and hydroxypropylmethylimidazolium glycolate [HOPMIM(+)][glycolate(-)] were found to be less toxic than conventional organic solvent such as chloroform or toluene, accoding the Microtox® toxicity assays. The toxicity of pyrrolidinium cation was lower than the imidazolium and pyridinium ones. It was found that the inclusion of an hydroxyl group in the alkyl chain length of the cation also reduce the toxicity of the ionic liquid. To sum up, the Microtox® toxicity assays can be used as screening tool to easily determined the toxicity of a wide range of ionic liquids and the toxicity data obtained could allow the obtention of structure-toxicity relationships to design less toxic ionic liquids.

Simulation of the Raman spectra of CO2: bridging the gap between algebraic models and experimental spectra.

The carbon dioxide Raman spectrum is simulated within an algebraic approach based on curvilinear coordinates in a local representation. The two main advantages of the present algebraic approach are a possible connection with configuration space and the correct description of systems with either local or normal mode character. The system Hamiltonian and polarizability tensor are expanded in terms of curvilinear coordinates. The curvilinear coordinates are in turn expanded into normal coordinates, obtaining an algebraic representation in terms of normal bosonic operators. A canonical transformation maps the operators into a local algebraic representation. The final step is an anharmonization procedure to local operators. The Raman spectrum of CO2 has been simulated, obtaining results close to experimental accuracy, and polarizability transition moments for the Raman spectral lines between 1150 cm(-1) and 1500 cm(-1) are reported. The comparison between experimental and simulated spectra has provided six new CO2 experimental vibrational terms.

Evidence of oligodendrogliosis in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinsonism.

AIMS: Mice and nonhuman primates administered with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) represent elective experimental models of Parkinsonism, in which degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway is associated with prominent neuroinflammation, characterized by activated microglia and astrocytes in both substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. To date, it is unknown whether oligodendrocytes play a role in these events. METHODS: We performed a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of oligodendrocyte-associated changes induced by acute and chronic MPTP treatment, in the SN and striatum of mice and macaques respectively. Oligodendrocytes were immunolabelled by cell-specific markers and analysed by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: In both experimental models, MPTP treatment induces an increase in oligodendrocyte cell number and average size, as well as in the total area occupied by this cell type per tissue section, accompanied by evident morphological changes. This multifaceted array of changes, herein referred to as oligodendrogliosis, significantly correlates with the reduction in the level of dopaminergic innervation to the striatum. CONCLUSIONS: This event, associated with early damage of the dopaminergic neurone axons and of the complex striatal circuits of which they are part, may result in an important, although neglected, aspect in the onset and progression of Parkinsonism.

Recombinant streptokinase suppositories in the treatment of acute haemorrhoidal disease. Multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (THERESA-2).

AIM: A four-arm multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to assess the effect and safety of suppositories containing recombinant streptokinase (rSK) at two dose levels (100,000 IU and 200,000 IU) with sodium salicylate (SS) compared with placebo and SS for the treatment of acute haemorrhoidal disease. METHOD: Patients with acute symptoms of haemorrhoids were randomized to four treatment groups: (I) placebo, (II) SS, (III) SS + rSK 100,000 IU and (IV) SS + rSK 200,000 IU per suppository. Inpatient treatment was by four suppositories given every 6 h to discharge at 24 h. Evaluations were made at the time of discharge (24 h) and at 3, 5 and 20 days later. The main end-point was the degree of relief of pain, oedema and reduction in the size of the lesion by 90% on day 5. Adverse events and the occurrence of anti-SK antibodies were also determined. RESULTS: Eighty patients were included. Respective response rates in the four groups were 16%, 30%, 25% and 52%. In the last group there was a significant difference (36.8%) compared with control (95% CI 7.0-58.4%). The time to response was significantly shorter (median 5 days) in the 200,000 IU rSK group with respect to the others. There were no adverse events attributable to the treatment. No increase in anti-SK antibodies was detected 20 days after treatment. CONCLUSION: Suppositories with 200,000 IU rSK showed a significant improvement in symptoms of acute haemorrhoids, with an adequate safety profile.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in the anharmonic Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model: Dynamical aspects.

The standard Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model undergoes a second-order ground-state quantum phase transition (QPT) and an excited-state quantum phase transition (ESQPT). The inclusion of an anharmonic term in the LMG Hamiltonian gives rise to a second ESQPT that alters the static properties of the model [Gamito et al., Phys. Rev. E 106, 044125 (2022)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.106.044125]. In the present work, the dynamical implications associated to this new ESQPT are analyzed. For that purpose, a quantum quench protocol is defined on the system Hamiltonian that takes an initial state, usually the ground state, into a complex excited state that evolves on time. The impact of the new ESQPT on the time evolution of the survival probability and the local density of states after the quantum quench, as well as on the Loschmidt echoes and the microcanonical out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) are discussed. The anharmonity-induced ESQPT, despite having a different physical origin, has dynamical consequences similar to those observed in the ESQPT already present in the standard LMG model.

Usefulness of thoracic ultrasound for diagnosis and follow-up of pneumonia.

Classically the diagnosis of both bacterial and viral pneumonias was made with chest radiology, later the use of chest CT was implemented, however in recent years lung ultrasound has become very important in the diagnosis of pulmonary pathology and increased in pandemic by SARS-CoV-2, due to the practicality of being done at the patient's bedside, the ability to be reproducible, and the decrease in radiation exposure to patients.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in the anharmonic Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model: Static aspects.

The basic Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model displays a second-order ground-state quantum phase transition and an excited-state quantum phase transition (ESQPT). The inclusion of an anharmonic term in the Hamiltonian implies a second ESQPT of a different nature. We characterize this ESQPT using the mean field limit of the model. The alternative ESQPT, associated with the changes in the boundary of the finite Hilbert space of the system, can be properly described using the order parameter of the ground-state quantum phase transition, the energy gap between adjacent states, the participation ratio, and the quantum fidelity susceptibility.

High serum nitrates levels in non-survivor COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Higher blood nitrate and nitrite levels have been found in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients than in healthy subjects. The present study explores the potential association between serum nitrate levels and mortality in COVID-19 patients. DESIGN: A prospective observation study was carried out. SETTING: Eight Intensive Care Units (ICUs) from 6 hospitals in the Canary Islands (Spain). PATIENTS: COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. INTERVENTIONS: Determination of serum nitrate levels at ICU admission. MAIN VARIABLE OF INTEREST: Mortality at 30 days. RESULTS: Non-surviving (n=11) compared to surviving patients (n=42) showed higher APACHE-II (p<0.001) and SOFA scores (p=0.004), and higher serum nitrate levels (p=0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed serum nitrate levels to be associated to 30-day mortality after controlling for SOFA (OR=1.021; 95%CI=1.006-1.036; p=0.01) or APACHE-II (OR=1.023; 95%CI=1.006-1.041; p=0.01). There were no differences in the area under the curve (AUC) for mortality prediction by serum nitrate levels (AUC=83%; 95%CI=73-92%; p<0.001), APACHE II (AUC=85%; 95%CI=75-96%; p<0.001) and SOFA (AUC=78%; 95%CI=63-92%; p=0.005) based on the DeLong method. The Kaplan-Meier analysis found patients with serum nitrates levels>68.4µmol/l to have a higher mortality rate (hazard ratio=138.8; 95%CI=22.3-863.9; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The main novel finding was the association between serum nitrate levels and mortality in COVID-19 patients controlling for the SOFA or APACHE-II scores, though larger studies are needed to confirm this observation.

Clinical guide to perioperative management for videothoracoscopy lung resection (Section of Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Anesthesia, SEDAR; Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery, SECT; Spanish Society of Physiotherapy).

The introduction of video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) techniques has led to a new approach in thoracic surgery. VATS is performed by inserting a thoracoscope through a small incisions in the chest wall, thus maximizing the preservation of muscle and tissue. Because of its low rate of morbidity and mortality, VATS is currently the technique of choice in most thoracic procedures. Lung resection by VATS reduces prolonged air leaks, arrhythmia, pneumonia, postoperative pain and inflammatory markers. This reduction in postoperative complications shortens hospital length of stay, and is particularly beneficial in high-risk patients with low tolerance to thoracotomy. Compared with conventional thoracotomy, the oncological results of VATS surgery are similar or even superior to those of open surgery. This aim of this multidisciplinary position statement produced by the thoracic surgery working group of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation (SEDAR), the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT), and the Spanish Association of Physiotherapy (AEF) is to standardize and disseminate a series of perioperative anaesthesia management guidelines for patients undergoing VATS lung resection surgery. Each recommendation is based on an in-depth review of the available literature by the authors. In this document, the care of patients undergoing VATS surgery is organized in sections, starting with the surgical approach, and followed by the three pillars of anaesthesia management: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anaesthesia.

[Translation, validation and cultural adaptation of the SANE (Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation) in patients with shoulder pathology]. / Traducción, validación y adaptación cultural de la evaluación SANE (Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation) en pacientes con patología de hombro.

INTRODUCTION: The Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score is a brief method of evaluating patients' perception of the shoulder joint and has proven high correlation with other outcome measures that are more lengthy and time-consuming in daily practice. The SANE score to date has not been validated in Spanish. OBJECTIVE: To translate, adapt, and validate the SANE score in Spanish. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An initial translation and counter-translation was conducted by two bilingual evaluators and an official translator. Content validity was evaluated by a group of experts in shoulder surgery. The criteria validity was determined by determining correlation with the previously translated and validated ASES score. Reliability of the test was determined. RESULTS: 113 patients were evaluated, with an average age of 53.6 being 56% female. The most frequent diagnosis was rotator cuff syndrome in 78.6% followed by frozen shoulder, glenohumeral and acromioclavicular osteoarthritis and shoulder instability and acromioclavicular dislocation. Correlation between the SANE and ASES results was 0.699. The test was highly reliable with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.86. CONCLUSION: The SANE score is a valid and reliable patient centered outcome measure that has a good correlation with other previously validated scores in Spanish that are less practical. We present a translated valid version of the SANE score in Spanish that can be used as a patient reported outcome measure for shoulder pathologies.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La evaluación SANE (Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation) es un tipo de desenlace reportado por el paciente, corto y fácil de administrar que se correlaciona con otras evaluaciones funcionales del hombro más extensas. Hasta la fecha no se encuentra validada en nuestra lengua. OBJETIVO: Traducir, validar y adaptar la evaluación SANE al idioma español. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó la traducción y contra-traducción por dos evaluadores expertos bilingües y un traductor oficial. Se determinó la validez de constructo con un grupo de expertos en cirugía de hombro, la validez de criterio con la escala de American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) previamente validada en español y la reproducibilidad de la prueba. RESULTADOS: Se evaluaron 113 pacientes con un promedio de edad de 53.6 años, siendo 56% mujeres. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue síndrome de manguito rotador en un 78.6% seguido por artrosis glenohumeral y acromioclavicular, hombro congelado e inestabilidad del hombro. El índice de correlación de Pearson entre el SANE y el ASES fue de 0.699. La reproducibilidad de la prueba fue alta con un coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0.86. CONCLUSIONES: La evaluación SANE es una medida de desenlace centrada en el paciente fiable y válida, que tiene una buena correlación con puntajes funcionales previamente validados al español más extensos. Se presenta la versión traducida y adaptada al español, que puede ser utilizada como medida de desenlace para intervenciones quirúrgicas o no quirúrgicas en patologías de hombro.

Nociceptive pain and anxiety in equines: Physiological and behavioral alterations.

Pain and anxiety are two of the most important concerns in clinical veterinary medicine because they arise as consequences of multiple factors that can severely affect animal welfare. The aim of the present review was to provide a description and interpretation of the physiological and behavioral alterations associated with pain and anxiety in equines. To this end, we conducted an extensive review of diverse sources on the topic. The article begins by describing the neurophysiological pathway of pain, followed by a discussion of the importance of the limbic system in responses to pain and anxiety, since prolonged exposure to situations that cause stress and pain generates such physiological changes as tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, hyperthermia, and heart rate variability (HRV), often accompanied by altered emotional states, deficient rest, and even aggressiveness. In the long term, animals may show deficiencies in their ability to deal with changes in the environment due to alterations in the functioning of their immune, nervous, and endocrinologic systems. In conclusion, pain and anxiety directly impact the homeostasis of organisms, so it is necessary to conduct objective evaluations of both sensations using behavioral scales, like the horse grimace scale, complemented by assessments of blood biomarkers to analyze their correlation with physiological parameters: Heart rate, respiratory rate, HRV, theparasympathetic tone activity index, lactate and glucose levels, and temperature. Additional tools - infrared thermography, for example - can also be used in these efforts to improve the quality of life and welfare of horses.

Clinical guide to perioperative management for videothoracoscopy lung resection (Section of Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Anesthesia, SEDAR; Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery, SECT; Spanish Society of Physiotherapy). / Guía clínica en el manejo perioperatorio para la cirugía de resección pulmonar por videotoracoscopia (Sección de Anestesia Cardiaca, Vascular y Torácica, SEDAR; Sociedad Española de Cirugía Torácica, SECT; Asociación Española de Fisioterapia, AEF).

The introduction of video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) techniques has led to a new approach in thoracic surgery. VATS is performed by inserting a thoracoscope through a small incisions in the chest wall, thus maximizing the preservation of muscle and tissue. Because of its low rate of morbidity and mortality, VATS is currently the technique of choice in most thoracic procedures. Lung resection by VATS reduces prolonged air leaks, arrhythmia, pneumonia, postoperative pain and inflammatory markers. This reduction in postoperative complications shortens hospital length of stay, and is particularly beneficial in high-risk patients with low tolerance to thoracotomy. Compared with conventional thoracotomy, the oncological results of VATS surgery are similar or even superior to those of open surgery. This aim of this multidisciplinary position statement produced by the thoracic surgery working group of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation (SEDAR), the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT), and the Spanish Association of Physiotherapy (AEF) is to standardize and disseminate a series of perioperative anaesthesia management guidelines for patients undergoing VATS lung resection surgery. Each recommendation is based on an in-depth review of the available literature by the authors. In this document, the care of patients undergoing VATS surgery is organized in sections, starting with the surgical approach, and followed by the three pillars of anaesthesia management: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anaesthesia.

Elastic scattering and reaction mechanisms of the halo nucleus 11Be around the Coulomb barrier.

Collisions induced by (9,10,11)Be on a 64Zn target at the same c.m. energy were studied. For the first time, strong effects of the 11Be halo structure on elastic-scattering and reaction mechanisms at energies near the Coulomb barrier are evidenced experimentally. The elastic-scattering cross section of the 11Be halo nucleus shows unusual behavior in the Coulomb-nuclear interference peak angular region. The extracted total-reaction cross section for the 11Be collision is more than double the ones measured in the collisions induced by (9,10)Be. It is shown that such a strong enhancement of the total-reaction cross section with 11Be is due to transfer and breakup processes.

An analysis of the 1978 African swine fever outbreak in Brazil and its eradication.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak that began in 1978 in Paracambi municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and the steps taken by the Brazilian authorities to eradicate the disease. The presence of ASF in the country was confirmed by isolating the virus, and its pathogenicity was certified by the laboratory of the Plum Island Disease Center, New York, United States. Even before the laboratory results became available, the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry declared an Animal Health Emergency, in which the official Veterinary Services adopted rapid control measures to restrain and eradicate the disease. These control measures contributed to the reorganisation of the national swine industry and stimulated the use of high-technology production techniques, as well as an improvement in herd health consciousness. All this contributed to Brazil becoming the largest meat exporter in the world.

Number of flocks on the same litter and carcase condemnations due to cellulitis, arthritis and contact foot-pad dermatitis in broilers.

1. This study was conducted to verify the impact of different kinds of material and the number of times of litter reuse on the incidence of chicken pathologies. Approximately 4·5 million broilers from conventional Brazilian farms were evaluated in the abattoir for cellulitis, arthritis and contact foot-pad dermatitis. 2. Four different kinds of litter material, Brachiaria grass, corncob, sawdust and rice shell, were used. Brachiaria grass litter showed the highest incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis. Corncob litter also showed some negative effects on foot quality. Broilers raised on rice shell litter showed good results in terms of the incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis. The best results were obtained with sawdust litter, because the incidence of cellulitis and arthritis were the lowest and the incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis was also very low.

High serum nitrates levels in non-survivor COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Higher blood nitrate and nitrite levels have been found in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients than in healthy subjects. The present study explores the potential association between serum nitrate levels and mortality in COVID-19 patients. DESIGN: A prospective observation study was carried out. SETTING: Eight Intensive Care Units (ICUs) from 6 hospitals in the Canary Islands (Spain). PATIENTS: COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. INTERVENTIONS: Determination of serum nitrate levels at ICU admission. MAIN VARIABLE OF INTEREST: Mortality at 30 days. RESULTS: Non-surviving (n=11) compared to surviving patients (n=42) showed higher APACHE-II (p<0.001) and SOFA scores (p=0.004), and higher serum nitrate levels (p=0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed serum nitrate levels to be associated to 30-day mortality after controlling for SOFA (OR=1.021; 95%CI=1.006-1.036; p=0.01) or APACHE-II (OR=1.023; 95%CI=1.006-1.041; p=0.01). There were no differences in the area under the curve (AUC) for mortality prediction by serum nitrate levels (AUC=83%; 95%CI=73-92%; p<0.001), APACHE II (AUC=85%; 95%CI=75-96%; p<0.001) and SOFA (AUC=78%; 95%CI=63-92%; p=0.005) based on the DeLong method. The Kaplan-Meier analysis found patients with serum nitrates levels>68.4µmol/l to have a higher mortality rate (hazard ratio=138.8; 95%CI=22.3-863.9; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The main novel finding was the association between serum nitrate levels and mortality in COVID-19 patients controlling for the SOFA or APACHE-II scores, though larger studies are needed to confirm this observation.